


Caught Me Sleepin'

by OstelanExcruciasm



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Literal Sleeping Together, Precious, Sharing a Bed, Short One Shot, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Noctis Lucis Caelum, very mild Gladnis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27197944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OstelanExcruciasm/pseuds/OstelanExcruciasm
Summary: They're all tired. Two members of the royal retinue are already down for the count. But when Gladio is too heavy to carry out of the Regalia, Ignis has to come up with a different plan to ensure that he sleeps comfortably.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	Caught Me Sleepin'

What a long day it had been. Hunt after hunt, favors upon favors -- the royal retinue was kept busy from dawn til dusk. Now, when it was nearing eleven at night, they’d been run completely ragged. They resolved to stop at the nearest haven to sleep. Unfortunately, that haven was still fifteen miles away.

Ignis avoided using the cruise control, the better to keep himself awake. The top was down, as the weather was mild and the breeze kept his eyes open. He let the radio play at a low enough volume to occupy his mind. Driving at night was indeed hazardous, as daemons could crawl out of the pavement at any moment. Likewise, visibility was quite poor in the dark, and he’d had more than a few scares when a wild beast would unexpectedly dart into the road, almost undetectable in such low light. But at the same time, Ignis acknowledged his nervousness over driving on empty, so to speak. He was not immune to fatigue, and it was for good reason that he kept a healthy supply of Ebony in the backseat.

When he’d yawned one too many times, succumbing to the peace and quiet a little too soon, he glanced into the rear-view mirror, intent on asking his friends for that very beverage, just to hold him over until they made it to camp. It was no surprise that Noct was curled up toward the side, eyes closed and dead to the world. But what stunned Ignis was the sight of Gladio, head rolled onto his shoulder and mouth hanging open.

Chuckling lightly to himself, Ignis turned down the volume dial on the radio even further until it was nigh inaudible. Prompto, who had been scrolling on his phone for a while and only stopping every so often when the nausea got to him, curiously raised his eyebrow.

“What’s up, Iggy? Don’t like this song?”

Ignis raised a finger to his lips. “It would appear we’ve lost a couple of comrades along the way.”

Prompto whipped his head around to peek between the seats, gasping with delight when he caught sight of their sleeping passengers. “Ah…! Babies sleeping in the backseat! Oh, how precious…” he exclaimed under his breath, already pulling out his camera and preparing to snap a few shots.

“Take care you don’t wake them,” Ignis warned him. “It’s been a long day.”

“I know, I know,” Prompto whispered reluctantly. “Man, these photos are gonna be priceless!”

Every click of the shutters made Ignis truly worry that their snoozing companions would wake any moment. He caught a glimpse of Gladio shifting in his seat, and Noct moaned once or twice. But for all the photos Prompto took, they never stirred.

“Aww, Noct is drooling!” he leaned over the center console, zooming his camera in as far as it would reach and barely suppressing his laughter. “I can’t wait to show him these tomorrow.”

Ignis, now feeling a bit more awake, abandoned his endeavor for Ebony and focused on driving. Setting up camp would be a lost cause without Gladio and Noct, so he decided they’d sleep in a caravan, as there was one not far from their position. Prompto had returned to scrolling his phone for the most part, but couldn’t help stealing a glance at the back seat every few minutes, as if to ensure that their friends were still out.

“Noct sure does love his sleep, doesn’t he?”

Ignis’s jaw tensed. He lifted his eyes to the rear-view mirror once more. Noct was motionless, leaning on the door as he slept and looking quite peaceful. “Indeed, he does. And don’t we all?”

“Yeah, but with Noct it’s like another level,” Prompto said, struggling to keep his voice down. “He sleeps more than anybody I know.”

Ignis kept his eyes straight ahead, fixed on the road as he flatly answered him. “I suppose you’re right.”

He needn’t tell Prompto that Noct hardly slept a wink most nights. It wasn’t his business to spread. But he’d stayed up enough nights with Noct to know the true nature of his sleeping habits. From the nightmares in his childhood to the injury-related pains in his youth, Noct had always been restless at night. And, where quality sleep was in short supply, quantity filled in the gaps as best it could. It was just as well that they were heading for a caravan. Ignis hoped that Noct would gain some decent rest on a soft mattress, rather than be forced to toss and turn on the hard, bare ground.

Less than ten minutes later, they’d made it. Ignis pulled into the parking lot just beside the caravan and shut off the ignition. Before Prompto could start making noise, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the credit card containing all of their gil, extending it toward Prompto.

“Go inside the station and rent us one night,” he instructed him in a hushed whisper before gesturing toward their friends in the back seat. “I’ll take care of them.”

Prompto didn’t move at first, his eyes lighting up in a very expectant way. Ignis, reading his expression easily, relented with a sigh. “Buy whatever else you like, but keep the junk food to a minimum.”

Prompto, grinning widely, dashed out of the car and practically sprinted to the station where the convenience store was located. Ignis shook his head before carefully climbing out of the driver’s seat. He opened Noct’s door first, figuring it would be easier to carry him into the caravan than Gladio. He scratched his chin, studying the prince’s position for a moment before deciding on the best way to lift him out of the car without waking him. Cautious and silent as possible, he bent down, slipped his arms around Noct’s waist and hoisted him up over his shoulder.

“Goodness, Noct,” he croaked, staggering under the prince’s weight. “I really must insist that you eat more vegetables…”

He carried Noct inside and gently laid him on the first bed he reached, pulling the blankets over him and leaving him in peace. He didn’t suppose the prince had said his prayers to the Astrals for a night with no terrors, or that he’d asked for their blessing from the scourge of daemons. So, he sat at the edge of the bed, silently making those wishes on Noct’s behalf. He entreated the gods to guard the prince and let him rest safely and soundly. He beseeched the sun to take its time in rising, that they might all have just a bit more time to dream. Lastly, he prayed to the Kings of Lucis for patience, that they might hold Noct’s crown for him while he took his respite.

With the first hurdle surpassed, he doused the light and returned to the Regalia to find Gladio still out in the back seat. Thought he hated to wake him, there was no chance of him carrying such a heavy man inside. He leaned down over the open window, gently nudging his shoulder.

“Gladio,” he whispered. “We’ve arrived. Won’t you come to bed?”

Gladio’s eyes did not open. He groaned a bit, shifting his position before settling back to sleep with a loud snore.

“Come now, Gladio, you can’t stay out here. It’ll be a cold night. Do wake up so we can sleep inside.”

No matter how he tapped his shoulder and shook his body, Gladio did not wake. And after a while, Ignis couldn’t find it in himself to force him up. He considered the risks of leaving the man out here alone. There were plenty of lights around, certainly enough to ward off any daemons. The Regalia’s top cover would keep out at least some of the cold. But something tugged at his chest when he pondered the thought of Gladio waking up in the morning to find himself alone in the car, of all places. What would he think? Would he assume that they’d abandoned him? Would he worry that they were in trouble? Or would he merely be a bit sad at having been left alone?

“Gladio,” Ignis muttered as he circled around to the trunk. “You owe me one.”

He pulled the thickets blanket they had out of the trunk and climbed into the backseat, scooting in as close to Gladio as he could get and throwing the blanket over them both. With the press of a button, the Regalia’s top cover unfolded and latched into place above their heads, sealing in what little warmth they had between them. It took a moment to get comfortable, and a few times he was certain he’d accidentally woke Gladio after all, but luck was with him tonight, as the man’s eyes remained closed.

Once he’d settled into his spot and removed his glasses, Ignis let his head fall to Gladio’s shoulder. He supposed that Gladio hadn’t said his prayers either. A night without terrors. Safety from harm. The calm and peaceful rest that he deserved. Ignis once again breathed those silent requests to the Astrals for his sake, and for the sake of all four of them. Where it was Gladio’s role to protect them from all the dangers of the world, it was likewise Ignis’s job to protect them from the dangers in themselves. The dangers of malnutrition, of fatigue, of illness, of neglect. Ignis embraced his duty in keeping their group safe and healthy, even if it meant that they had to cuddle in the back seat for the night.

Content and fading fast, Ignis let his eyelids fall at last, surrendering himself to the slumber that he’d so rightfully earned.

“Sweet dreams, Gladio.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I sprinted this all at once at about 4am and thought it was cute enough to post. Based off of how my friend reacts whenever we see that Gladio and Noctis are asleep in the backseat of the Regalia. This hasn't been edited other than for grammar and typos. I hope you liked it!
> 
> Peace and Love,  
> Ostelan


End file.
